Moistener



J. BACHRACH ,565,979

MOISTENER Filed March 19. 1925 INVENTOR 612 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BACHRACH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOISTENER.

Application filed March 19, 1925.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH BAoHRAoI-I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moisteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to moisteners, and more particularly to a simple, inexpensive and serviceable device for moistening the gummed surface of an envelope closure flap or other articles. i

It is one of the important objects of my present improvements to provide a device of the above character which is provided with adjustable means for regulating the feed of water to an applying member movable over the gummed surface.

More particularly, in one simple and practical embodiment of the device, I provide a tubular container forithe water contracted at oneend and provided with a pocket to receive a. suitable absorbent material and. a non-absorbent distributing roller removably mounted beneath said pocket and engaging the absorbent material to apply the water to the gummed surface of the envelope flap. The other end of the water container is pro vided with an airtight closure plug and an adjustable valve member carried by said plug whereby the ingress of air to saidcon: tainer may be regulated. Thus, the air pressure upon the body of water tending to force the same through the absorbent material in said pocket may be varied to control the supply of water to the surface of the distributing roller. I

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved moistoner and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

member consists of a roller absorbent material whlch 1s provided with Serial No. 16,625.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of using my improved moistener;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the moistener on an enlarged scale showing one position of the adjustable air valve;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating another position of said valve:

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the air valve;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section showing the mounting of the water distributing roller;

, Fig. 7 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of one of the parts; and s Fig. 9 is a detail view illustrating an alternative form of the valve means.

Referring in detail to the drawings, for purposes of illustration, I have shown an elongated water container 5 which may be conveniently produced from light sheet metal and for substantially one-half of its length is of cylindrical form, the remaining longitudinal portion of the container being contracted as indicated at 6, and providing opposite flattened side portions 7. This contraction and flattening of the tubular container produces a widened end thereof which slightly exceeds the diameter of the cylindrical portion of said container and the fiattened side walls 7 at said widened end are bent or formed to provide outwardly proj ecting flanges or shoulders 8 and then extended in parallel relation to each other as at 9, thereby forming a pocket 10 open at its lower side and adapted to receive a strip of felt or other suitable water absorbent material 11. The opposite end walls of said pocket are extended beyond the, edges of the side walls thereof to provide cars 12. Between the cars 12, a water distributing member is mounted. As herein shown, this 14: of non a multiplicity of spaced circumferential grooves 15 in its surface. This roller is loosely mounted for free rotation on a rod 16 engaged through apertures in the cars 12.

One of these ears is provided on one edge thereof with the flange or extension 12 having a notch or seat 12 therein. One end of the rod 16 is bent at right angles as at 16 and the terminal thereof is inwardly bentor extended and formed into a hook 16 as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. After the rod 16 is engaged through the aperturesof the ears '12 and the bore of the roller 14, the rod is then turned so that the hook-163%- thereof rides upon the rounded end edge of one of the ears 12 and. snaps into. the recess or seat 12 in the flange 12, thereby releasal'ily holding therod against turning moven'ient. It will be understood that this hooked end 16 of the rod is sufiiciently yieldahle or resilient to permit of the same being disengaged from the notch or seat-12 so that the rod 16 and roller 14 can be easily removed for the purpose of renewing the absorbent material 11 when necessary.

The open end of the cylindrical portion of the container 5 is provided with a water and air-tight closure. This closure asherein shown is preferably in the form ofa soft rubber plug 18. Thisplug is provided with a central opening'19 to receive an adjustable air valve 20. This valve may be, of various constructions, but I have illustrated avery simple formof valveconsisting of a cylindrical stem adapted for insertion through the opening 19 in the plug. Thisstem at one of its ends isd-iametrically enlarged as at 21 so that in order to insert the stem through the opening 19-, considerable-pres.- sure must be applied and thereby expand the rubber plug, momentarily enlarging the opening 19 as the valve stem is forced therethrough. lVhen this enlarged end 21 is projected beyond the inner end-of theopenin-g 19, said plugwill resume its former condi tion and the wall ofthe opening 19 will closely engage upon the periphery ofthe valve stem, and thereby prevent the entrance of air between said valve stem-and the plug to the interior of the container.

The outer end portion of the va-l'vestem 20 is also diametrically enlarged and; may

be provided with annular; corrugations in-- dicated at 22 to provide agrip-pin-g surface for the fingers. This end ofthe valve stem is also provided with an; axially extending bore 23 open at its outer end and communicating at its inner end with atransverse orifice 24, said orifice constituting a con,- tinuation of a longitudinally ext-ending groove 25 formed in the outer surface of the valve stem. This groovegraduallydecreases in width, and depth fromthe-orifice 24 to the inner end of thevalve stem where it merges into the peripheral surface thereof adjacent the enlargedend-21.

From the above description, the construction and manner of operation of the. device will be readily understood. Assuming that the container 5 has been filled with water and a felt strip or other absorbent material 11 of relatively close texture arranged in the pocket 10, when the valve 20 is in the of the, water through the felt material 11 to the surface ofthe roller 14. iVhen it is desired to use the device, the valve 20 is forced inwardly as indicated in Fig. 2 so that the innerend of the groove 25 will communicate with the interior of the container, thus admitting air thereto through saidgroove, the port 24 and the bore 23 of the. valve member. Since. the, groove. 25 varies in area longitudinally of the valve stem, it will be apparent that by proper adjustment of this valve stem, the volume of air entering the container may be regulated, thus varying the pressure of air upon the body of water in the container and regulating the feed of water through the absorbentv material to the roller 14.

The cylindricalend portion ofthe water container may be grasped by the hand in the manner indicated in Fig. 1 and the roller 14 drawn over the gummed surface of the envelope flap. Thus the water seeping thronghthe material 11 to the surface o-fsaidroller willbe more or less uniformly distributed by the circumferential grooves 15 in said rollerto the gummed surface. In this manner, the; gurnmed surfaces of the envelope. flaps may be very rapidly moistened and the. envelopes sealed. After using the; device, the valve-stem 20 is pulled outwardlyto the position shown in Fig. 3, thus cuttingioff the feed 'ofwater to the roller 14 so that there will be practically. no loss through evaporation.

Iii-Fig. 9.:of'the drawings, I have illustratedanotherform. of valve means for regulatingqthe supply ofair to the container and which-thy reasontof its simplicity and low cost ofproduction, may be considered prefeI'able; As shown, the wallof the container 5adjacent its open end is provided in one side thereof with a circumferentially extending slot. 26 which is gradually taperedor reduced in width from one end to the other thereof. In; this, case, the, rubber plug 18 is provided in its. periphery with a longitudin-ally. extending groove or channel 27. Itxwill be obvious, that after the plug has been insertedsinto the open end of the container: to .close the same, that byv rotating said plug,- the groove 27 therein may be placed in registration with different portions of theslot 2,6 to thereby regulate the volume of air entering the containerthrough said slot and the groove 27.

In the foregoing"description, I have described an embodiment of the invention which has given excellent service in practical use, nevertheless it will be understood that the essential features of my present dis closure might also be incorporated in various other alternative constructions and I ac- 1 cordingly reserve the privilege of adopting posite side Walls of the container, said pocket having unobstructed communication With the interior of the container and being open at its lower side, an absorbent material in said pocket, and a detachably mounted Water distributing roller directly engaging said absorbent material at the open side of the pocket and constituting means for removably retaining the same therein in contact ing engagement against said shoulders.

2. A moistener comprising a water container having a pocket at one of its ends in unobstructed communication with the interior of the container, the lower side of said a pocket being open and the end Walls thereof provided with longitudinally extending per- Q forated ears projecting beyond the open side of said pocket, one of said ears havin a cam edge and a seat at one end thereo a Water absorbent material in said pocket, a

Water distributing roller arranged between said ears and removably retaining the absorbent material in the pocket, and means for detachably and rotatably supporting. said roller in operative position consisting of a rod extending a-Xiall roller and through the per orations in said ears, one end of said rod being angularly bent and having a terminal part adapted to coact with said cam edge of the ear when said rod is turned in one direction to be releasably engaged in said seat.

In testimony that I claim the foregolng as my invent on, I have signed my name hereto.

JOSEPH BAGI-IRAOH.

through said 

